Automated trash management system

Abstract

An automated trash management system for remotely measuring the fullness of a plurality of trash containers is disclosed. Each container is provided with a remote sensing unit for generating a signal proportional to a characteristic of the container by which the extent of fullness of the container may be determined. A transmission linkage, typically a telephone line, is provided from each remote sensing unit to a central unit, where a data base of the signals transmitted from a particular trash container may be stored and analyzed. A hauler is called from the central unit location by a user after a determination from the data base that a particular trash container is in a condition of fullness warranting emptying. Several embodiments of the invention are disclosed in that for compactor equipped containers, the instantaneous pressure applied to the compression member of the compactor is monitored and processed either with limit switch data or without to determine a sequence of data signals indicative of the fullness of the container. In another pressure monitoring embodiment, the work of the compression member during a compaction stroke, is determined and analyzed as to the extent of fullness of the container. In another embodiment, current applied to the motor which drives the hydraulic pump of the compression member is monitored as a substitute for measuring pressure directly. In an embodiment of the invention applicable for non-compaction containers and compaction containers alike, a weight signal proportional to the weight of the container is compared to a predetermined weight signal for each container to determine its degree of fullness.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A remote status unit for a trash container, said remote status unit in operative association with a packing system having a compression member for engaging and compacting the trash in the trash container, the unit comprising: means for generating a current signal proportional to the amount of current applied to a motor which turns a hydraulic pump which applies hydraulic pressure to said compression member during a compaction stroke of its associated trash container,   means responsive to said current signal for deriving and storing derived pressure signals representative of hydraulic pressure applied to said compression member of the trash compactor during its compaction cycle, and   telephone linkage means for transferring said stored derived pressure signals via telephone lines to a central unit whereby said central unit may receive said signals to determine the fullness of said trash container.   
     
     
       2. A monitoring system for measuring the fullness of a trash compactor said trash compactor having a packing system including a compression member for engaging and compacting trash in a container, the monitoring system comprising, a remote status unit including a sensor which produces a current signal proportional to the amount of current applied to a motor which turns a hydraulic pump for applying hydraulic pressure to said compression member,   means for converting said current signal to a pressure signal indicative of said hydraulic pressure applied to said compression member for each compaction cycle of said trash compactor,   means for storing said pressure signals as a function of each compaction cycle,   communications linkage means for transferring said pressure signals from said remote status unit to a central unit,   said central unit adapted to periodically receive said stored pressure signals from said remote status unit and to compile a database of said signals for said remote status unit of said trash compactor.   
     
     
       3. A remote status unit for measuring the fullness of a trash container, said unit in operative association wiht a packing system having a compression member for engaging and compacting the trash in the trash container, the unit comprising, means for generating a pressure signal representative of hydraulic pressure applied to said compression member during a compaction stroke of its associated trash container, said pressure signal being a function of time beginning at the start of compaction of said cycle and ending at the end of compaction of said cycle;   means for storing a first predetermined signal representative of the work required to operate said compression member in said container during a compaction stroke, a second predetermined signal representative of the area of said compression member against which said hydraulic pressure is applied, said signal multiplied by its average forward velocity, and a third predetermined signal representative of total cumulative work indicative of a full container.   processing means responsive to said pressure signal and to said first and second predetermined signals for generating a compaction stroke work signal representative of the work expended by said compression member in compacting trash in said container during each compaction stroke, and for generating a cumulative work signal representative of the sum of each compaction stroke work signal of compaction strokes of said container from a time when said container was last emptied, and   means responsive to said cumulative work signal and said third predetermined signal for generating a container full signal if said cumulative work signal is greater than said third predetermined signal.